Niven 1* - Restaurant review

Last Friday we took ourselves to Niven in Rijswijk. As you
may know I got to spend a day working in the kitchens as part of my prize for
the Tasty Talent competition. So it was only fair that I tried out the fare to
see what the food was like. Niven has been on my “to-eat” list for some time, but it is a case of too many restaurants and so little time, or the fact my list
is getting a little too big!

Niven gained it’s Michelin star about 10 years ago and has
successfully retained it again this year.The restaurant layout is certainly impressive, simple yet stylish decor
for the main dining area andthere’s
also a chefs table area off to the side near the kitchens.For my visit we were located in the chefs
table area where we could watch all the action in the kitchen.

The meal we had was the 10 course tasting menu, it does
sound rather a lot but I have had more courses in the past in places like The
Fat Duck and L'Enclume. The good thing about this menu is the portions were well proportioned
and you weren’t waddling out the door at the end of the night. Service was
slick and attentive without being overly so and there was the added mix of the
chefs also serving the food as well as the waiters and waitresses (Copenhagen
style!).

The wine list has a good
selection to suit all pockets and rather than the traditional mix of whites,
then reds sorted by region it is sorted by region. I elected to have the wine arrangement
to accompany the menu.

We started off with 4 amuses; beetroot waffle, red pepper
cones, cucumber spaghetti and a piccalilli jelly. The beetroot and the cones
being my favourites, the beetroot had a good earthy base and I liked the fact the pepper mousse was backed up by the creaminess of goats cheese.

The first course was a bit of a surprise in the fact it came
in the form of a soft boiled egg accompanied by a mini brioche loaf. I was expecting something along the lines of
the Moshik Roth “perfect egg dish” or a Glynn Purnell egg surprise. The egg was
simply a soft boiled egg cooked well, not exactly a roaring start and frankly a bit disappointing.

With the following dish the game stepped up somewhat in the form of the most exquisite mackerel dish. Unsually the dish had meringues but paired with the savouriness of the
sauce and the strong flavour of the fish itself it was a wonderful marriage of
flavours.

Next up was tofu and foie gras wrapped in celeriac, again
subtle flavours with an Asian twist and a good textural contrast with the rice
crisp which had a subtle flavour of lime. I did really like this dish, but my other half is still raving about it.

The next course was a vision in red with a play of sharp lettuce, salt from the iberico ham and creamy
flavours as well as the piquancy of the horseradish. All worked together really well.

The next dish for me was the star of the show, perfectly
cooked halibut with a corn sauce, mushrooms and pearl barley. Absolutely
stunning in its simplicity but great complexity in flavours and textures with
the sweetness of corn complementing the saltiness of the fish, which was cooked to perfection, and then a nutty
edge with the pearl barley.

We moved onto two meat dishes one of which was a beef stew inside
a potato. While the stew was rich and tasty, the potato texture and flavour
dominated the dish somewhat so the beef was lost. What followed was a
simple beef sucade which although tasty lacked the impact of the earlier
dishes.

Next up was a small but perfectly formed cheese course, the
portions were not huge, but for the
number of dishes we were having it was a nice nod to tradition.

To finish we had a succession of dishes; chocolate coated vanilla
parfait and then a delicate bread pudding with caramel ice cream dessert. Not too heavy
and a good end to the meal.

Wine pairings throughout were nicely matched and well
thought out. The friandaises were a nice touch with the coffee, not too many
but a lovely contrast of textures and flavours.

All in all a very enjoyable evening with great food and good
service and you can really see why Michelin have continually awarded them a well deserved
star for 10 years in a row.